Countess of Erne 7 to 14m. This passenger liner paddle steamer was later converted to a coal hulk but in 1935 broke loose from her moorings and sank against the breakwater. She was built in the early 1880s and the conversion took place 1889. She is approximately 240' long and with a 29' beam she lies upright on the bottom making an excellent dive for novice and experienced alike. The Countess has three holds that are open on either side, a number of attractions from a large rudder to ladders and even a toilet bowl! The Red Band Fish and Lumpsuckers that visit the Countess seasonally are occasionally even joined by seals. This is definitely one dive you could do over and over again!...

 

Dredger 12m. The Dredger lies right outside of Portland Harbour within the shelter of Balaclava bay, right in front of the large winch and many anchors that can be spotted from see. This vessel was a sand dredger and makes an excellent dive both for training and as  a naturalist trail beside the rocks it rests against. The wreckage itself is pretty much broken up and is in two parts but offers good swim throughs and plenty of fish, squid  as well as the dozens of hermit and spider crabs. Despite its shallow depth, because it can be dived in almost any weather conditions and the lure of the wreck itself, the Dredger is even regularly visited by technical divers who use it as a platform for training.

Landing Craft and Bombardon Unit 17m. Both of these wrecks lie in very close proximity and make an excellent double-wreck dive by starting off at the Landing Craft, following a line laid by our staff to the Bombardon Unit and returning back to entry point or surfacing on an SMB (please consult the skipper on what method is preferred for the dive). The small landing craft lies beside the Breakwater wall and is almost completely intact with its landing doors closed. It is an interesting dive that leads to the wheel house and exposed engine at the stern. (Beware there are line and cord in the engine section which should not be penetrated). From there you can either follow the line or the breakwater wall (keeping at your left) to the Bombardon Unit. This is a WWII experimental wave breaking unit apparently made for the D-Day landings and is a vessel made out of star shaped barges with lots of hatches. Be careful in poor visibility as it is easy to find oneself in the wreck without even knowing it! It makes a powerful dive in good visibility and is full of fish. SMB and Torch Highly Recommended.

Enecuri (The Spaniard) 16m. This 3000 ton Spanish steamship dragged her anchor in a Force 9 gale in December 1900 and was grounded on the rocks close to the Breakwater where she slipped and eventually sank. It is badly silted and fairly broken up but  is full of marine life and swim throughs with part of the vessel still intact, making it an excellent second dive of the day.  It is also very accommodating to recreational and technical courses.

Bottlebank Drift 19m. This site is right inside of the harbour close to the Hood entrance and can offer an excitingly good drift dive but in poor visibility and weather conditions, must be done with a torch. The sea bed, heavily silted, is littered with bottles, cups and plates with other oddities. At times this area is used by local and visiting dive schools to conduct recreational deep dive training where standards require a depth deeper than 18 metres. SMB Required. Torch Recommended.

James Fennel 18m. A small Admirality trawler only 123' long that went aground on Blacknor Point in March 1920 in thick fog, slid off and sank there. The stern is complete and amidship there is an engine and boiler. This site offers some of the most enchanting sea life scenes in the area and is the spot where authors of this site first witnessed the "Dance of the Cuttlefish", an amazing scene involving a dozen cuttlefish swaying in one place replicating the colours of each other. It is a must-do for any new visitor to Portland and a dive we regularly repeat ourselves over the season. The James Fennel also can be drifted or done as part of a drift dive. SMB Required.

Chequered Fort 18m. This is on the outside of the breakwater and just around the corner from the Fort. Depending on the tide, divers can get a good drift dive in this area. On descending, follow the wall down until you reach the gravel and sandy bottom at about 18 metres. There is some sea life amid the large rocks. SMB Required. Torch Recommended.

Black Hawk (Bow) 15m. Topedoed by a German sub in December 1944, towed into Worbarrow and beached. Declared a total loss in April 1945. The wreck was blown by explosives to clear the way for the Winfrith pipeline. It is badly broken up with large pieces of machinery present and lying in a rock shingle sea bed. There are large chains on her. SMB Required. Torch Recommended.

The No-Go wrecks

Earl of Abergavenny 15m. This is an East Inidiaman that struck the Shambles bank and sunk in front of Weymouth in 1805 with a large loss of life. Although some operators would take divers for a recreational dive on this wreck and it is occasionally visited by clubs, Breakwater Diving Centre does not conduct dive trips to the Earl of Abergavenny to protect years of professional archeological research being conducted on her.

HMS Hood 18m. Sunk as a blockship across the South Ship Channel of Portland Harbour. This 380' battleship is upside down (turtle) and was one of the area's most interesting dive sites until in 2004 Portland Harbour Authority, a part of Langham Industries ltd. unilaterally banned all diving on it without any outside consultation.